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The national shelter save rate reached 82% in 2024, up 11 percentage points from 2016
Source: Best Friends Animal Society (2025)
Best Friends Animal Society. (2025). Best Friends Animal Society. As cited in Cat Cognition. https://catcognition.com/statistics/shelters/#us-national-save-rate-2024
2.2 million
Approximately 2.2 million cats were adopted from US shelters in 2024
Shelter Animals Count (2025)
64%
The cat adoption rate in US shelters reached 64% in 2024
Shelter Animals Count (2025)
273,000
273,000 cats were euthanized in US shelters in 2024
Shelter Animals Count (2025)
8%
Cat euthanasia rate dropped to 8% in 2024, down from 13% in 2019
Shelter Animals Count (2025)
